While the two objects, which are traveling at 32,800 mph, are most likely not going to collide, the science of predicting the paths of two small objects traveling at such high speeds is inexact, according to LeoLabs CEO Dan Ceperley.

If the satellites did collide “there would be thousands of pieces of new debris that would stay in orbit for decades,” Ceperley said. “Those new clouds of debris would threaten any satellites operating near the collision altitude and any spacecraft transiting through on its way to other destinations. The new debris [would] spread out and form a debris belt around the Earth.”

Whether the satellites collide or pass each other without incident as expected, it is likely that collisions and narrow misses will become more common as more and more satellites and spacecrafts are launched.

“Events like this highlight the need for responsible, timely deorbiting of satellites for space sustainability moving forward,” LeoLabs wrote on Twitter.